The People Behind the Dancing
by Kaden-san
Summary: The legendary basketball star, Troy Bolton, of East High has shaken the school to its core after he quits the school team and coupled with a few unfounded rumors Troy has been kicked out of his home. Instead of crashing he flourishes. What is his secret?


54

The tension in the air almost crackled like physical lightning in the intense atmosphere of the abandoned graffiti covered warehouse and shadows flitted all over the expansive floors and catwalks, their outlines cast sharp amongst the walls. Excited whispers echoed off the walls to the cavernous roof and laughs or giggles would chase after the whispers echoes. The rain pounded on the ancient glass windows and on the tin roof of the warehouse and the wind's howl turned furious as the sturdy walls of the warehouse prevented it from wreaking havoc in the warehouse.

"DJ give me that beat one time!"

A giant spotlight cast a large bright circle in the middle of the dust covered floor and a man leaned over an expansive sound system with his headphones hanging across his neck like a long lost lover. The DJ hit a button on his sound system and a heavy beat of bass rippled across the floor and into the shadows. Loud cheers met this and then the DJ began to hit buttons in earnest. A catchy, head bobbing, body shaking beat rolled across the floor and amidst the cheers people poured out of the shadows along the walls. They moved their bodies to the beat and rhythm of the music and the bodies moved in one giant throbbing mob.

"Aiight Aiight let's get this party started!"

The storm outside the warehouse couldn't compare to the cheers inside and the DJ bobbed his head as his fingers flew over his soundboard.

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Troy Bolton took a large gulp from his icy water bottle and ran a hand threw his disheveled sandy blonde bed head hair. Sweat rolled down his neck to disappear into the grooves of his muscled torso underneath the black wife beater he wore. An impromptu dance competition in the downtown streets of Philadelphia on a Wednesday night never ceased to surprise him but the competitive feelings that stirred inside of him at this moment always drew him back. The song changed again and the M.C danced his way out to the spotlight. The crowd moved to the fringes of the shadows and the M.C turned on the microphone.

"Aiight ya'll that concludes the intermission and now we begin the second half of the competition. We saw some nasty dancing skills in the first half and ya'll filled out your cards on who you wanted to win but I didn't fill mine out. Know why? We still have two of our biggest hitters have yet to dance and let me tell ya, these guys and girls are crazy. Give it up for the Troy Bolton and his Wildcat crew!"

Troy tied his black headband underneath his bangs and slipped on his black leather jacket, he double checked his belt and smoothed out the wrinkles in his black cargo pants. The lights were extinguished and the drumbeat associated with the military rattled its way across the darkness. Troy and his crew were thrown into harsh relief from behind as the spotlight turned on behind them and their feet beat out the cadence as they stepped their way into the dance floor.

"A lefty righty lay oh!"

Troy's command broke the single file line into a horizontal one in the matter of seconds as his crew filed out on either side of him, Chad on his right and Zeke on his left. The other members of his crew filed in behind the three leaders in a five deep formation and clapped their hands once as they finished the formation. Troy kept his head down as the drum roll continued to beat and he and his crew bobbed their heads up and down. The guitar riff came in and then another. Troy snapped his head up and clapped once.

"Dress right dress!"

He looked to his right with Chad and Zeke and the other members of his crew raised their left hands to touch the shoulder of the crewmember next to them and looked straight ahead. The timing of each maneuver was so precise and done with such a sharp snap that the crowd cheered with amazement. The song changed and another drum roll along with techno bagpipes rang out across the floor. Troy, Chad and Zeke broke formation and took their lines out to form a giant Y shape. Each one of the boys in the formation smirked and after a silent count in their heads began to beat out a complex beat with flashy steps.

"Wildcat slide!"

Troy's crew and him kept up the same movements but they took a leaf out of the Irish step dancing book and moved their feet faster and faster as each moment passed in the song. The crowd gasped, as Troy's crewmembers were so in sync with each other that they didn't even look at each lines leader when the formation began to move in a circle. As the song began to pick up so did the speed in the circle and Troy raised his arms above his head as his tap shoes continued to beat out the sequence of moves ingrained in his memories.

"Close ranks!"

Troy leaped high into the air, clicked his heels together and spun around twice in the air. His momentum carried him to one corner of the dance floor and he landed on one knee, head down and buried underneath his arms. He heard Chad land a couple feet away from him and the half of his crew land in a formation behind each of them. The last beats of the song played and Troy and his crew stood up with a stomp.

"Wildcats!"

Out of the corner of his eye Troy saw Zeke and Ryan as the leaders of the other half of the formation and a smirk threatened to cross his face at the perfection of their last maneuver. Troy and Chad were the two points in a W formation and Zeke and Ryan were the two endpoints in a C formation just a little bit beneath the lower point of the W. If Troy weren't so used to the screaming and cheers of the dancing world his ears would have exploded from the deafening noise of approval from the crowd. Troy broke formation and high fived each one of boys in his crew, elation all over his face. The dance that he and his crew had created had taken them half a year to perfect and he had received many a confused stare and question as to why he and his crew hadn't competed at any of the local clubs or battles.

"Now I see why Troy and his boys weren't at any of the clubs or battles. Those maneuvers and…well just everything about that dance blew my mind away! Congrats Troy!"

Troy wiped the sweat off his face with the sleeve of his jacket and grinned a crooked grin up at the DJ. He heard the girls in the crowd squeal but his sense of happiness and pride far outweighed the usual embarrassment he felt when the girls threw themselves at him. Chad, Zeke and Ryan surrounded him and rolled their eyes at the squeals of the girls but didn't move. Each one of the formation leaders looked up to a balcony on the side of the warehouse and held their breaths. The first judge held up a nine and Troy made a fist to control his excitement. The second judge held up a ten and Troy's goofy smile spread across his face. The last judge flashed a thumb up at them and held up a ten as well.

"Well would you look at that! Troy and his boys blew away the reigning champion crew of the Knights of the West and their leader Andrew. With those scores…Troy and his crew are the new reigning champs!"

Troy pumped his fist into the air and high fived all of his crewmembers again. The M.C tapped his hand on the microphone three times to regain control of the wild crowd. Troy moved off the floor and pushed on the backs of a few of his boys to make sure they walked off too.

"Aiight Aiight we know that Troy and his boys blew away your minds but hold your score cards and stop your chatter as we welcome the last dance crew out onto the floor. It is with the greatest of pleasure that I open the floor to the sexy and smoking hot girls of the East Cold Rose dance crew!"

Troy's attention zeroed in on the back door and he blocked out everything else as he held his breath in anticipation for the girl of his dreams to appear. His gaze broke from the door when the dance floor split into two halves and a deep rumbling followed after. His mouth dropped open when the Cold Rose crew rose up on a platform from the open space in the dance floor but his gaze searched the shadows for the tantalizing form of his dream girl and he took a picture with his camera when he found her. The overhead spotlights cast them in an alluring light and Troy wolf whistled along with all the other males in the crowd at the girls.

"See what I mean about holding your score cards ya'll? Bring it on Gabriella!"

Troy's eyes zeroed in on Gabriella again and he roamed her attire and body without restraint because he knew that she couldn't see him. The lights gave her hair golden highlights amongst her usual deep brown curls and her eyes glowed with the sensual sparkle nestled deep in the creamy mocha brown of her eyes. Her ripped low rider blue jeans hugged her hips like a second skin and her black baby tee accented her curvy form so well that Troy's mouth watered. The music started and Troy's eyes couldn't be torn off Gabriella's hips as they began to walk right towards him, swinging just the right extra amount to make him grip the beam with until his knuckles turned white. Gabriella placed a white Stetson on her head, bowed from the waist and snapped twice as she crossed her arms in front of her. The beat in the music changed, she rose and shimmied her way down to the floor with her arms crossed around her chest.

"Go baby go!"

Troy wanted to punch the guy in the crowd for that comment as Gabriella belonged to _him_ but he shook his head when he realized that he didn't have any claim on her and with the way things were going…never would. He pushed those depressing thoughts away and watched her pop back up from the ground with a pop and lock of her hips. She crossed her legs at the ankles, brought her Stetson down low over her eyes with one hand and curtsied.

"Hell yeah!"

Troy's eyes widened as her body ticked to a new song and her movements turned harder and sharper as the beat picked up. The crowd began to clap to the beat and all the girls moved into a generic formation. As one they all back flipped away from each other, their Stetson's forgotten on the floor and landed into a split which made Troy cringe. Her hips rose up off the floor, back down and back into the air. She ticked back onto her feet and teased the audience by riding her hands up and down her sides and front. Troy gulped as he caught glimpses of her toned stomach and skin and he had to crush the desire to go out there and kiss her senseless. Gabriella swayed her hips as she walked backwards until she was back to back with Sharpay. The two girls ground against each other which elicited many a catcall and wolf whistle but Troy saw them grin in the darkness. His mouth dropped open in shock as they locked their right arms together and used each others momentum and body weight to back flip over each other's arms. They kept their arms linked and spun in a circle. The final beats of the song came over the speakers and Gabriella sauntered forward a few steps but performed front hand spring to the center where all the girls met. Troy had to smile when he realized that the front hand spring was a distraction as she had picked up her Stetson and placed it on her head once more.

"Now that was a dance. I know my blood pressure is sky rocketing. What do you think judges?"

The judges couldn't get control of the crowd until ten minutes later and even then security had to come in and take five or six horny guys off the dance floor and out of the warehouse so the judges could score. Troy blinked and then blinked again when he saw one nine and two tens. That meant that…

"Holy crow! Looks like the East Cold Rose crew and the Wildcats of the East tied ya'll! You know what that means….sudden death battle."

Troy felt himself pushed forward by the members of his crew and his eyes widened as Gabriella's crew pushed her onto the dance floor. A sudden death battle between two crews resulted in the best dancer from each crew battling each other for two songs; one a piece and then the judges would decide who won. A young man burst into the circle, ignored the boos and held up a radio.

"Yo you know that I don't want to stop this sick dance off anymore than ya'll do but we got a mad number of cops heading this way!"

That statement was all it took for the entire warehouse to break out into chaos. Troy nodded to Chad who made a shrill whistle in the air, their crew's signal to meet up by Chad. After all fourteen members of the crew met up by Chad, Troy walked over and put his head into the center.

"Alright, we gotta bail but let's meet back up at the Church. You all know the drill."

Everyone laughed, bumped fists and they ran out of the center of the warehouse to where all the cars were parked. Troy hooked up with Chad and Zeke as they ran through the deserted warehouse and they laughed as they related the different things they had seen while they battled it out on the floor. They came to a stop when they came to the car garage of the warehouse and they met up with Ryan and some of the girls from the East Cold Rose crew. Troy swallowed the lump in his throat when he saw Gabriella laughing with her head tossed back and her eyes twinkling with happiness at a joke Sharpay must have shared. Chad ambled over to where Taylor stood and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She turned to see who it was but snuggled closer to him when she realized it was just Chad.

"Yo Troy we need to draw straws for who's going to be the designated distraction for tonight. You in?"

Troy shook himself out from his daydream and he walked over to where Zeke held a fistful of broken sticks in his hand and his other arm wrapped around Sharpay's shoulders. Chad and Taylor walked closer and so did Ryan and Kelsi. Gabriella materialized by Troy's side and he flushed at her proximity. Zeke laughed as Sharpay drew a long straw and he kissed her cheek in thanks. Chad whooped when Taylor drew him a long straw as well and Ryan sighed in relief when Kelsi drew a long straw as well. Which meant…

"Looks like you're the designated decoy tonight Troy! Fork over the keys to the church man and I'll try and keep a beer fresh for ya if you make it back."

Troy handed over the keys to the church and sighed as he tossed the keys over to Chad, who with a nod dragged Taylor off to his silver BMW. Zeke and Ryan each went off to their own cars as well, Zeke a blue Porsche and Ryan a tuned up Jeep Wrangler. Gabriella hovered in the shadows, biting her fingernail and looking down at the ground.

"Hey Gabriella, everything all right?"

Gabriella's head shot up at Troy's soft question and she gave him an uneasy smile. She sighed, fingered the rim of her Stetson and wrapped her arms around herself. How she could be such a alluring vixen out there on the dance floor and now a shy, nervous girl amazed Troy but that's one of the things he liked about her…her realness.

"Well, I finagled a ride over with Zeke and Sharpay but since they left I don't have a ride as I left my car at Sharpay's. Guess I'll just have to walk the two blocks and catch the late night bus so the cops won't catch me here. See ya later Troy."

Gabriella's mumbling were cute and Troy found himself smiling as he took a chance and took a gentle hold of her arm. She turned around to face him, confusion written in her eyes and a dark blush on her face. He dangled his keys in her face and with a deep breath took another chance by grabbing her hand.

"Well, um, if you don't mind about ten minutes of frenzied driving and the flashing lights of cop cars, I could um, give you a ride back to the church. That's where the crew and I are going to chill after this night's dance off. I mean I could drop you off at Sharpay's and you can go home if you want but…"

Troy cursed himself on the inside for rambling and he sighed as he couldn't imagine Gabriella wanting to be with him when he was breaking more than one law in the next few minutes. How could he be so cool while behind the wheel with cops on his tail and so collected when performing dance moves that would have the average human being gasping in amazement but when he tried to talk to Gabriella Montez his tongue got all twisted? Oh yeah, that's right. She was beyond gorgeous, smarter than smart and didn't have a wicked bone in her body. Not to mention she had the voice of an angel and she had more than one contract open for both singing and dancing but she chose to wait for the opportune moment and she hung out with her own crew.

"Um, okay."

Troy shook his head at Gabriella's quiet admission and peered closer at her. Did she just agree to hop in the car with him and do the unthinkable?

"You're serious?"

Gabriella took her gaze off the dusty floor and although she was blushing she bit her bottom lip and nodded. Troy's own facial features brightened and he smiled so wide that he thought his face may split in two. With his natural boyish charm back on track he bowed and waved her to where his metallic, fire engine red Corvette sat parked. She giggled and Troy opened the passenger side door for her before sliding across the hood and opening his own door. He slid into the seat, fastened his racing harness and adjusted the rear view mirror. Gabriella clicked her own seat belt and Troy fired up the engine.

"Now the first thing you have to learn about avoiding the cops is that they're way too predictable. In about five seconds their going to surround the building and have their spotlights blast through the windows. Some grumpy old sergeant is going to get on the bullhorn and yell for us all to desist fleeing but of course no one is going to listen. This will lead to them sending in a wave of inexperienced rookies and then all the decoys will bolt."

Gabriella raised an eyebrow at him but he didn't take his gaze off the huge windows on the other side of the warehouse. Sure enough, the entire warehouse was bathed in the harsh, bright glow of police spotlights and the sound of a bullhorn being keyed up could be heard.

"Attention, this is the police. Stop where you are and desist any notion of fleeing. We have you surrounded."

Troy turned his excited blue eyes on Gabriella and amidst another blush she giggled again. Troy's face split into a crooked smile and he put one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the gear shift on the center console. Gabriella screamed as the warehouse's doors burst open and police swarmed the building. This is what Troy was waiting for along with all the other designated decoys and at the same time he revved his engine loud and flipped on his high beams. The police began shouting but Troy shifted into gear and Gabriella screamed again as his Corvette peeled out of the parking space. With the ease of a seasoned pro, Troy followed the line of decoy cars and roared out of the other side of the warehouse. He chuckled as the police officers scrambled to get back into their cars as all the decoy cars drove off into the night and the chase began.

"So Gabriella ever ran from the police before?"

Troy shifted into a lower gear and the Corvette accelerated faster into the night. Gabriella to her credit had stopped screaming but she had a white knuckled grip on the passenger side door handle. Troy laughed again and that's when the red and blue lights of a police cruiser flashed in his rear view mirrors.

"N-N-No I-I haven't and I can't s-say that I-I would."

A red light appeared in front of them as the Corvette crested a hill and Troy mashed the gas pedal to the floor. With a roar and a quick shift Troy shifted again and they raced for the red light. The police cruiser beeped its horn at them in warning but Troy's eyes narrowed as he focused on the intersection.

"That's too bad. It's a lot of fun once you get the hang of it ya know."

The Corvette screamed through the red light and just missed being clipped by a semi. Troy spared a glance in his rear view mirror and smiled as the police cruiser had come to a screeching halt so it wouldn't crash into the now stopped semi. He groaned as two more police cruisers drove up in front of them and the cars spun in a one eighty so they could continue the pursuit.

"T-Troy maybe w-we should stop. The r-road are all slick f-from the rain and w-we could cause an accident or g-get in one o-ourselves."

To Gabriella's chagrin Troy didn't slow down and drifted around a corner. Troy had to marvel at Gabriella's ability to adapt to the current situation as she was no doubt freaked out of her mind but besides a worried statement every now and then she refused to scream or whimper anymore. One of the police cruisers wasn't able to take the turn at the speeds that Troy was driving at and crashed into the guard rail. The other police cruiser drove up onto Troy's rear bumper and beeped its horn. Troy gunned the engine and shifted one final time. The Corvette gave another roar and lurched forward. Knowing that there was construction further on down the road Troy slammed on the brakes and whipped the wheel. His Corvette did a complete one eighty, the police cruiser flew past at an incredible speed and Troy mashed the accelerator to the floor once more after down shifting.

"We'll be alright Gabriella. I promise."

"I-I believe y-you."

Her soft, heartfelt statement increased his desire to get them out of this mess and they drove off into the night once more. After a quick series of sharp rights and lefts Troy managed to lose the last of the police cruisers and he pulled into a favorite haunt of his, Jenny's diner. Gabriella looked as pale as a sheet and Troy felt bad for putting her through all that fancy driving. He should have dropped her off at Sharpay's or let have taken the bus but his own selfishness got in the way.

"W-where a-are we?"

Troy unhooked his harness and turned the car off. He let his head rest back against the headrest and closed his eyes as he sighed to let the rest of his adrenaline escape his body.

"We're at a favorite haunt of mine besides the warehouse and the church. Called Jenny's diner and she's been feeding me ever since I was kicked out of my parent's house."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

Troy opened his door and got out of the car. He heard Gabriella follow suit and she shut her door with a soft click. He shouldn't have put her way out of her comfort zone like that.

"I don't mean to be rude or anything Gabriella but I'm starving. Dancing and then racing always make me hungry. Jenny's is open all night and Wednesday's are her all night shift. I can drop you back at Sharpay's if you want or you can get a quick bite to eat with me."

"Whatever you w-want to do T-Troy is fine b-by me."

The guilt gnawed at Troy again and in three quick strides he had her enfolded in her embrace before his brain could catch up to his body. She didn't flinch or hesitate but instead she clung to him like he was her last lifeline. He stroked her back and ran his hand through her tresses as he murmured God knows what in her ear. After a few minutes she stopped shaking and the tears stopped rolling down her cheeks.

"Come on, I can tell you're cold and Jenny's makes the best hot chocolate there is. My treat and you need to get food in you anyways."

Gabriella sniffled one final time and then she nodded her head in agreement in his chest. He chuckled and stepped back, missing the way her body formed to his but he didn't let go of her hand, afraid she might bolt or break down again. They walked up the stairs and into the diner to a loud rousing of cheers from the men at the bar. Troy grinned and raised his free hand into a fist of victory but paled as an middle aged old woman bustled out of the kitchen.

"Troy Andrew Bolton! You're fortunate I don't call the cops and tell them that the hooligan street racer their looking for is right here in my diner. You broke your promise and now you owe me a day's worth of shifts as retribution for adding more grey hairs to my head."

Troy groaned and he heard Gabriella's quiet giggle at her side. Jenny walked around the counter and stood in front of them, her eyes a mixture of anger, relief and worry. Gabriella shrank behind Troy at the intensity of the woman's gaze and Troy wished he could hide behind her instead of her hiding behind him.

"Stiffen that upper lip you crazy boy and maybe next time you'll think twice about going to one of those illegal dance competitions and then racing through the streets afterwards."

Troy straightened up like she ordered and this caused Gabriella to come into full view of Jenny and the patrons of the restaurant. He could feel her grip tighten on his hand and he squeezed back in an attempt to soothe her nerves.

"Hello my dear. I'm sorry that Troy had to drag you through all that mess. Why don't I whip up a cup of hot chocolate for you and then you and I both can take turns smacking him upside the head?"

Troy looked down at her and she nodded. Jenny bustled away and Troy tugged Gabriella in the direction of the bar that also served as the counter. The men there budged up and gave up two seats right in front of the T.V for them.

"So how many cops did you bust up this time Troy?"

"John! You're not to be encouraging this!"

Troy waited until Jenny disappeared back into the kitchen and then leaned closer to the heavy set, middle aged regular. He liked John as the man helped him out with his car and always gave him a place to crash at his cabin back in the woods. John never asked why someone like Troy was out on his own but he knew that Jenny told John about Troy's past history.

"Well, we started out with one but that grew into three. We lost one by a semi, the second crashed into a guard rail and the third is somewhere down in the business district of the Market Commons."

Troy and John sprang apart and looked away from each other when Jenny slammed two place mats down in front of Troy and Gabriella. She gave them both a stern look and Gabriella giggled again. Troy shot her an incredulous look but winced when Jenny took this opportunity to pluck him in the back of the head and this made Gabriella giggle again.

"So who is the pretty young lady you brought with you tonight?"

Troy shot Sam, another regular at Jenny's a glare but the old man raised his hands in surrender and stirred some more sugar into his coffee.

"This is my friend Gabriella. She needed a ride back at the warehouse and since we were both hungry I stopped in here before we head back to the church."

"You're not going to have another wild party again are you Troy?"

Troy reached for his menu and perused the contents as a distraction to ignore Jenny's prying and pointed glare. Gabriella punched him in the arm and when Troy looked at her in surprise she nodded her head in Jenny's direction. He sighed and heard John and a couple of the other men at the bar make a whip cracking sound.

"I don't think so Jenny. I'm pretty wiped and I think I'm just going to crash in my room."

Jenny appeared satisfied with his answer for the moment and went back in the kitchen after collecting their orders. John and the other men turned their attention back to the T.V where a football game was being shown and Troy turned his attention back on Gabriella.

"Hey, you're better now right? I didn't mean to shake you up so bad with that whole police chase thing. Sorry about that."

Gabriella shook her head and after she swallowed a sip of her hot chocolate she ran her finger along the rim of her mug. Troy smiled as that was something he did when he was nervous about something or thinking of something to say.

"I shouldn't have been so freaked out about the whole thing and I should've have known what getting in the car with you would entail. Thanks for getting us out of there, you're an amazing driver and so calm behind the wheel. Who taught you how to do all that?"

Troy shrugged his shoulders and looked down at the contents of his mug in an attempt to hide his blush from Gabriella's compliments. John kicked him under the counter and Troy kicked him back.

"Well um, before I got kicked out of my parent's house they gave me a year's worth of professional driving lessons out in a professional race track in the middle of New Mexico's deserts. Guess I learned all that crap there."

Troy's fist tightened on the handled of his mug at the mention of his parents and angry tears sprang up in his eyes. He hated mentioning that his parents kicked him out of his childhood house but he didn't want to lie to Gabriella and besides, he had a new life here at Jenny's. He stilled as Gabriella's small hand closed on his tight fist on his mug and his grip lessened in a second. Troy looked up and met Gabriella's sympathetic glance but instead of the pity he expected he saw the anger in her eyes.

"They shouldn't have kicked you out. All parents can talk things out with their children. That's just cruel."

Troy choked at her response and he found that he didn't know what to say. Jenny slid their orders down in front of them and leaned in on the counter beside Troy.

"A simple thank you would suffice Troy. Haven't I taught you anything?"

Troy blushed and grabbed his fork but shot Gabriella a look of thanks to which she shook her head and blushed to as well. Jenny chuckled and patted Troy on the arm.

"Look at you two lovebirds. You are right Gabriella, Jack and Lucille shouldn't have kicked young Troy out of their home but anger causes people to make irrational decisions. Not that that's any justification for them or anything but I keep telling Troy that his parents don't know what they're missing out on."

A comfortable silence settled over the counter and Jenny cleaned some of the items behind the counter. Troy finished way ahead of Gabriella and leaned back in his bar chair. Jenny took his plate and slid it down the counter to the dish bucket but didn't leave. She turned her attention back onto Gabriella and Troy resisted the urge to groan.

"So Gabriella, how do you know our sweet Troy?"

Gabriella choked on her food and blushed but Jenny eyes twinkled as she handed her a glass of water. After Gabriella managed to clear her throat she pushed her vegetables around on her plate and didn't look up.

"We met at the warehouse a couple months back and her crew was battling it out with another dance crew. I told you this Jenny."

Jenny waved him off and her eyes twinkled at Gabriella's blush. To her credit Gabriella didn't look down into her half finished supper and she looked up at the ceiling as if pondering how to answer. She set her fork down on the edge of her plate and twirled one of her curls around her finger as she continued to think for the perfect answer.

"I would have to say that I met Troy when he battled a real big hotshot named Ricky Chavez, a Latino break-dancer that had some real skills and how focused Troy seemed on beating this guy. I had never seen someone who seemed so focused on the battle and the way the two went at it for over an hour even after the M.C declared the match a tie was incredible. Each one of them wanted to beat the other and it wasn't until an hour later that Troy did this back flip and half into a slide across the floor did the crowd and judges declare him the winner."

Jenny nodded her head and jerked her thumb over her shoulder. The move that Gabriella had just described was framed in three pictures on a wall full of photos above the condiments. Gabriella excused herself and walked over to the part of the counter that was across from the pictures and leaned to get a better look. Troy hung his head in embarrassment as those weren't the only pictures up there of him, more like his entire life since he came to Jenny's hung for all to see up there on that wall. There had to be close to fifty pictures of all sizes that ranged from dancing to street racing and photos of him playing basketball.

"Wow, you must have known Troy for a long time Ms. Jenny."

"Call me Jenny my dear and yes I have. I've known Troy for going on four years now."

Gabriella sighed as she looked at the pictures one final time and then walked back to take her seat by Troy again. She laughed at his embarrassment over the situation and patted him on the back in an attempt to comfort him but the smile on her face didn't help.

"Well now that you know my whole life story why don't I get you back to your house or Sharpay's so your parents won't skin me alive?"

Jenny chuckled along with the other patrons at the counter and Gabriella hopped off her bar stool as her answer. Troy slid some money across the counter, nodded to John and then held the door open for Gabriella to walk out of. As he walked out of the door behind her he heard a couple comments that had him smiling.

"So we get to meet the dream girl Gabriella huh?"

"She's a sweet thing and I imagine she'll be good for our little Troy."

Troy let the door close with a soft thump and walked over to his Corvette with his hands stuffed in his jean pockets. He unlocked the driver's door and pressed the lock for Gabriella's door. She clambered into her seat and Troy chuckled but he stared once more at the familiarity of Jenny's diner.

"You must like this place a lot and I can see why you want to hang out here. Jenny's a wonderful woman, you're lucky to have her."

Troy started the Corvette and flipped on his lights. He hesitated with his hand on the gear shift and revved the engine in farewell. To get back at Gabriella for knowing his most of his life story he whipped the wheel hard and did a reverse one eighty out of the parking lot. She screamed and when Troy peeled out of the parking lot and back onto the highway she hit him on his shoulder with her tiny fist. Troy tossed his head back and laughed until his sides hurt. Gabriella pouted in the passenger seat and wrapped her arms around herself.

"That's payback for embarrassing the heck out of me back at Jenny's."

"Come on, I don't get that opportunity to get to know the real you all that often and I find it sweet that Jenny has a whole wall devoted to you."

Troy shifted gears and drove down the highway but the smile wouldn't come off his face. Gabriella leaned over the center console and placed a warm, soft kiss on his cheek. Troy blushed again and cleared his throat out of a nervous gesture but Gabriella amidst another blush just giggled.

"Thanks for taking me to your secret getaway Troy. It meant a lot that you trust me that much to take me there. Thanks."

"Well you mean a lot to me Ella and I felt bad for putting you in that police chase. Jenny's always cheers me up and I know that I can escape there…okay I'm rambling so I'll just stop."

Troy tuned on the road that led to the church and he checked to make sure the coast was clear before pulling into a dilapidated building across the street and down a ways from the church. All his other crew members cars were parked in here and Troy pulled into an empty spot next to Zeke's Porsche. He turned off the car and let his head fall back onto the head rest again.

"You're quiet. Everything okay?"

"You called me Ella. No one except my Papi calls me Ella."

Troy rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands hard as he resisted the urge to groan for making another mistake with Gabriella. He sighed, opened his eyes and opened his car door. Gabriella clambered out of the car and raced around the front to stand in front of him. She laid a hand on his chest to stop him from leaving and the shocks that both of them felt made them both shiver.

"No no, it's okay Troy. I don't mind you calling me Ella. I-I like it if –y-you want t-the truth."

Troy opened his arms as Gabriella looked out of her comfort zone again and she didn't hesitate in once again burying herself in his embrace. He tightened his hold on her and swayed from side to side. After a couple minutes he lessened his hold on her and she stepped back.

"Come on, Chad and the rest of the knuckleheads will be wondering where I am and I don't want them getting caught or doing anything stupid like going out to look for me."

Troy led the way out of the dilapidated garage and across the street. They both ran as the sky opened up with a torrential downpour and thunder and lightning chased each other across the sky. He knocked on the door in the code necessary to get inside and not a second later the door swung open to reveal one of the younger members of the East Wildcats crew opened the door. He grinned as Troy walked through and Gabriella followed behind him. The party turned out to be in full swing and everyone sat around the large and complex entertainment center in the center of what used to be the sanctuary.

"Well would you look at who showed up and about time to Captain!"

Chad rose from the mass of bodies and ambled over with a beer in hand. He and Troy did the usual guy handshake programmed into their brains but then Chad noticed Gabriella. He gave a loud whoop and raised his eyebrows at Troy.

"So she did have the guts to get in the car with you and go for a little joy riding. Golly gee Captain, you got yourself a keeper there!"

Zeke tackled Chad to the ground and shook his head at Troy in an unspoken apology. He pinned Chad's arms behind his back and sat down on his legs. Troy nodded in thanks to Zeke and Gabriella giggled. Zeke waved to her and gestured to the room that served as the kitchen.

"Chad's had one too many to drink already so don't mind him and there's food in the kitchen if you're hungry. Nice to see you again Gabriella and you were fantastic tonight."

Gabriella blushed at Zeke's compliment but Troy chuckled, wrapped an arm around her waist and led her away from the scene. Someone shouted out to wear protection but Troy just flipped them off to a chorus of wolf whistles and catcalls. He led Gabriella up the stairs to the second floor of the church and walked down the spacious hallway. Gabriella leaned into him and Troy opened the door at the end of the hallway. The door swung open under his hand and they both stepped inside. He switched on the lights and his room was visible for Gabriella to see. A large four corner bed dominated one wall, spacious enough to fit four people and all sorts of furniture were lined up along one of the walls.

"You're um, very neat for a guy and all."

Troy chuckled at her statement and walked into the adjoining bathroom. He came out a few minutes later shirtless and walked over to rummage through one of the dressers. Gabriella caught the clothes he tossed to her and he nodded towards the bathroom.

"I try to be as neat as possible but I imagine that you would like nothing more than to take a long, warm shower and get out of those clothes. The door has a lock on the other side if you're nervous and I'll take a shower down in the hall in the common bathroom so you have no worries of me being a Peeping Tom."

Gabriella started at his statement and pressed the clothes into his chest since he wouldn't take them in his hands. She made a sound of impatience at his refusal to budge and stamped her foot to his amusement.

"Troy I can't just stay here in your hideaway, use your shower and wear your clothes. I can't pay you back right now and I'm sure if I call one of the girls they can come and pick me up."

Gabriella's breath hitched in her throat when Troy snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her flush against his body, the clothes still in her hand but trapped between them. He looked deep into her eyes and she lost herself in his swirling blue depths.

"Gabriella, you're my honored and esteemed guest. I'm not about to send you packing when you can just chill here for the night or however long you want to. I don't need the money and you don't need to pay me back. Now, go hop in the shower and I'll meet you back here in a couple minutes or do I have to stand guard and make sure you take a shower?"

Gabriella couldn't help herself and her lips turned up into a smirk. She nodded her head and Troy let go of her. They parted ways and Gabriella smiled as she shut the door behind her but didn't lock it. She shimmied out of her clothes and turned on the shower. Troy's gentlemen manners showed as he had given her the smallest clothes he owned but the shorts would be too big and she smirked as she would just have to wear his boxers as shorts. Maybe she could make him speechless and return the favor as he had made her breath catch in her throat when he had pulled her flush against him.

"Hey Ella? You done?"

"Not yet."

Gabriella jumped into the shower and chided herself for daydreaming about Troy again for a full ten minutes. She finished in the shower, dried herself off with a towel he left her and slipped into his clothes. The shirt hung down almost past the boxers but an inch of the plaid boxer fabric showed and she swept her hair up into a half done up, messy bun. After she was sure she looked presentable, she walked out of the bathroom and smiled at the sight before her. Troy stood before the huge bay window of his room, a towel draped around his neck and a black pair of sweatpants on his hips. She watched the lightning highlight the muscles of his back and shoulders and she couldn't help the dreamy sigh that escaped her throat.

"Ella! Oh, wow, I didn't know you were standing there."

Gabriella smirked as she watched his eyes scan her body and she giggled as he scanned her more than three times. His head snapped up and he blushed but she raised a hand. She stepped closer to him and stood by in front of him in front of the window.

"Easy there Wildcat, I already drank my fill of your delectable self while you were watching the storm."

"Oh now did you?"

Gabriella's eyes closed and she shivered at the husky timbre of his voice that breathed down her neck. A large crackle of lightning made her jump and whimper as she jumped into Troy's arms. He chuckled and wrapped his strong arms around her for the third time that night.

"You're not afraid of thunderstorms are you?"

Gabriella mewled as he rubbed her back and sighed as he braved slipping hand under her shirt to rub her back. His hand stopped all of a sudden and she heard him gulp.

"What's wrong Wildcat?"

"Y-you're um, not w-wearing a b-b-br…"

Gabriella laughed until her sides hurt at the cuteness of his embarrassment. Most guys would take advantage that she wasn't wearing anything underneath his shirt but Troy had the manners to be embarrassed. She would have to thank Jenny for this little detail about Troy the next time she saw the woman and she decided to take the issue further.

"What's a matter Troy? You're tripping over your own words."

Gabriella tightened her hold on him as he tried to pull away and cheered to herself when he stopped trying to get away.

"Relax Wildcat. I didn't feel like wearing a sweaty sports bra and since I doubt you carry any bras in your dressers I had to forgo one. Is it going to cause that much of a problem?"

Troy sighed and realized that he would just have to take a very very cold shower in the morning as he thought of a way to get back at Gabriella. If she wanted to play this daring and seductive game of cat and mouse then she had better be ready to play. He resumed his exploration of the silky smooth skin of her back and she made that delicious sound again and rested her head against his chest. The chemistry and sexual tension between them had reached new heights with their games tonight and Troy would be damned if he turned out to be the loser.

"It's getting pretty late Ella. Why don't you go ahead and get under the covers of my bed while I grab a pillow and a blanket so I can sleep on the floor."

Gabriella stiffened at this and crushed her thin arms around his back so he couldn't leave without her and he murmured words of inquiry in her ear.

"If you think that you're butt is going to sleep on the floor while I sleep in your bed in the middle of a ferocious thunderstorm and while I'm a guest at your hideaway think again Wildcat. I'm using you as a buffer between me and that friggin storm."

Troy's chest rumbled in her ear as he laughed and without a word he fell backwards onto his bed. Gabriella shrieked in surprise and her sliding down his muscled torso sent delicious fissures of pleasure through her body but she failed to notice that the boxers he had leant her had slipped down. She felt Troy stiffen and looked down to where his gaze lay. She giggled as his gaze lay locked on her hips where her black lace boy shorts lay out in full view and she decided to tease him some more by sliding a hand down her torso to rest on her panty line.

"Like what you see Wildcat?"

He gulped and sputtered out a response but she couldn't decipher what he said. Gabriella decided to spare Troy's heart so she reached down and pulled the boxers back up over her panties. His body uncoiled from the tense knot he had put his muscles in and she giggled again. Once again he had the opportunity to take advantage of her but he didn't and had fisted his hands into his comforter on his bed. Gabriella knew that the selfishness she felt and disappointment that came with it had nothing to do with Troy's gentlemen like manners but she couldn't help but feel that she wasn't pretty enough for him.

"Troy?"

Troy hauled her little body by the backs of her legs, (underneath her butt of course…curse him and those gentlemen manners!) until her head lay on his chest and he could wrap is arms around her.

"Yes Ella? What's wrong? You sound nervous."

Gabriella bit down swallowed her nervousness and traced the contours of his chest with her finger. She smiled at the soft moan that escaped his lips at her action and linked her fingers with his with her other hand.

"Am…Am…Am I not pretty enough for you?"

Troy stiffened underneath her and he raised his head from his pillows to look at her but she kept her face down so he couldn't catch the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes.

"What? What brought this on Ella?"

"I-It's j-just tha-at y-y-yoou didn't t-take advantage of the o-p-portunites that I gave you and I-I was w-wondering if it was because I'm not p-retty enough or tha-at my ac-c-tions disgusted you or something. Silly of me I know but I-I couldn't help but wonder."

Troy scooted up so his back rested against the headboard and he cradled Gabriella to him. He rubbed a hand on her back underneath her shirt and kissed the top of her head.

"I'm sorry if my actions earlier made you think that way Ella. It's just, Jenny would be furious with me if she found out what we are doing right now and I don't want to betray her trust in me is all. You're not pretty Gabriella, you're breatakingly beautiful and so gorgeous I'm surprised that you don't have a boyfriend already. It's not that I didn't want to…continue with the actions we had earlier but I don't want to disrespect you or make you think that all I want with you is to get in your pants."

Troy winced as the hot tears in Gabriella's eyes spilled over and ran down his naked chest. She tightened her hand in his though and wrapped her other arm around his neck, over his shoulder. Troy smiled and held her tighter to him, the unspoken trust they had in each other speaking volumes and he slipped back down so he was laying on his back again.

"Thank you Troy. No one has told me that I was…those two things and no one ever held that much respect for me. You're special Wildcat and I don't want you to let go of me anytime soon okay?"

"Hey Ella?"

"Hmmm?"

"Be my girlfriend? I think it's high time we stopped dancing around each other and wasting time."

Gabriella lurched up in his arms and pressed her lips to his for the most mind blowing kiss in his life. He shifted his arms so he could hold her head closer to his and deepened the kiss. They broke apart minutes later when air became a necessity and she buried her face in his chest again, her ragged breaths sending chills through his body.

"I'd love to Wildcat."

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_The Next Morning at Sharpay's House_

Gabriella slid the crack in the front door and shut the door behind her with a soft click. She placed the spare key on the counter and made her way into the kitchen of the Evan's mansion. Well, in truth, the Evan's parents had given it to their children as an eighteenth birthday present and moved into another house on the grounds. She made her way around the kitchen, pulling out dishes and food from the fridge and being as quiet as she could. She knew that the girls would question her to the ninth degree when they woke up and she knew that have a breakfast gourmet waiting for them would make them less annoyed with her, as none of the girls in the crew could be mad with one another. She had just finished setting the island up with place settings and food when Kelsi stumbled into the kitchen underneath a giant stack of musical sheets.

"Gabriella! You're home!"

Kelsi's loud statement of surprise caused a stampede to be heard upstairs and she winced as she heard Sharpay's and Taylor's loud tones.

"Gabriella Marie Montez you are in so much trouble!"

"I second that and I better get the details as soon as I make it down the stairs if Tiara will hurry up and get out of my way!"

In the next few moments Gabriella found herself found herself pounced upon by twenty odd girls of the East Cold Rose dance crew and she fell to the floor from the weight. Taylor and Sharpay pinned her arms above her head, Tiara, a miniature Sharpay sat on her stomach and Kelsi took a picture. The other girls, some still in high school and others out of school or seniors like Gabriella formed a circle around Gabriella.

"Alright, we want details and we're not letting you get up until you spill them all. So start!"

"Well, I'll share them with you if you let me get up and get breakfast served."

Gabriella's cooking was nothing to argue with and the girls let her up in a instant, already arguing about place settings. Gabriella stood up and rang the triangle besides the coffee maker. Silence fell over the kitchen and she smiled as Ryan ambled into the kitchen and kissed her cheek.

"Since Ryan here was the only one to give me a nice good morning he gets to be served first. Come on girls you know the drill, seniority first and then a free for all for seconds. There's more than enough food there so I don't want to hear any complaining."

Like a well oiled team the girls got into a single file line and after Ryan had been served, he gave her a wink before he sat down at the kitchen table, Gabriella served the rest of her crew. Chatter broke out in the kitchen and the girls found seats around the island, at the table with Ryan and on the spacious window sills.

"Alright Gabi, we're all served and now it's your turn. Where were you last night?"

"The East Wildcats hideaway."

Gabriella blushed and speared some more eggs onto her forks at the squeals of her crew. She much preferred the silence of the church but she knew that she would have to be subjected to the interrogation as Troy and her had been dancing around each other for months now and everyone had been waiting for them to get together.

"And those are his clothes right?"

Sharpay pointed to the baggy sweatpants with Troy's old basketball number on the thigh and one of his old basketball jerseys. She blushed but nodded and amidst the fresh round of squeals she paled as Sharpay cocked an eyebrow.

"If you're wearing his clothes that meant you had to have taken a shower at his place and I don't think he carries around a stack of bras and panties. Those are also his boxers I imagine. You're wearing underclothes right Gabriella?"

The blush that spread across her face, down her neck and onto her chest could have lit up a room. The girls all quieted at this and she heard Ryan chuckle into his breakfast.

"Sharpay Evans! Yes, I took a shower at his place and yes these are his boxers but yes I'm wearing underclothes. I snagged them from my car before I came into your house. Goodness Sharpay!"

Sharpay's answer was to laugh and the others joined in as well. Gabriella grumbled about the insensitivity of her friends and began cleaning up from the huge breakfast.

"So what else happened?"

Gabriella chose to ignore the question and got out a dry dishtowel to rest the pots and pans on that wouldn't fit in the dishwasher. She put her plate and the other girls that had stacked them up by the sink into the dishwasher as well.

"Oh come on Gabi! You can't hang us out to dry when something happened at their hideaway. Which by the way I can say I'm jealous of you as none of us other girls got to set one foot inside that place. How do they pay for it all anyway?"

Gabriella still ignored Sharpay and the other girls as she walked over and grabbed Ryan's empty plate. He didn't say anything as a annoyed Gabriella was not something one wanted to mess with and he looked over the music sheets Kelsi had abandoned in her attempt to get Gabriella to answer the questions.

"Gabi come on!"

Once breakfast was cleaned up she cleaned the sink and looked through the stack of mail on the island. A hand slammed down onto the stack of mail and Gabriella looked up to see Sharpay staring daggers at her.

"Troy works at a diner, Zeke as you know works as a cook in his family's restaurant and a couple of the other boys work as well. Since all of them have been kicked out of their homes or ran away, they all pulled together and made it all happen. It also helps when Chad won the lottery a couple months back and Troy and Zeke bring back food from the diner or restaurant."

Gabriella tugged the mail out from underneath Sharpay's hand and began to sort it all into individual piles. She hated divulging parts of Troy's history but knew that the secrets shared in this house would never ever leave.

"Oh. Wow. Good for them. Don't they all street race as well? There's good money in that and they win competitions all over the place as well. What'd they all get kicked out for or run away from their parents for?"

At that question Gabriella walked into the spacious living room and curled up on the giant wrap around couch. The other girls followed suit and took positions all over the room. Seats on furniture, the floor, each other's lap's, windows and Ryan leaned against the divider to the living room and kitchen.

"You must never share this with anyone else. The guys agreed for me to tell all of you as they knew at breakfast this morning that you would question me but they're very private people and they hate it when people pry into their personal lives. Even though they're estranged from their parents and homes, they still want to go back and smooth things over but that means giving up the dream they're living."

The girls all nodded and got comfortable as Gabriella was also the best story teller in the crew. She smiled as she remembered the innocence on the boy's faces and the pride and affection they had for one another. Their crew was nothing short of spectacular and now it didn't surprise her that they were all tight and had a real brotherhood going on.

"The younger ones ran away from home because their parents found out about the dancing and street racing and wouldn't have any of it. Most of them picked up that night and Troy along with Chad and Zeke, opened their arms wide to let them into the hideaway. The younger ones in return do the best they can in school, help out in keeping the hideaway up to shape and do work in the community. When they get old enough and depending on the financial status of everything, they can get a job and help upgrade the hideaway."

Most of the girls sniffled and a couple cried because even Gabriella didn't know the full story of each individual crew member in the East Wildcat's crew and what she did know was heartbreaking. The way that the younger kids, the youngest being a sophomore in high school looked up to Troy, Chad and Zeke was nothing short of sweet and the way Troy cared for them all warmed her heart.

"Now we get into the heart of the problem. Unlike the older girls in our crew, Troy, Chad and Zeke don't have their parents blessings and backing in the decision to move in with their friends. Their parents don't respect their dreams and ambitions but instead laughed at them and told them good luck by slamming the doors in their faces or kicking them to the curb. Zeke, the tall and lanky African American in their crew was kicked to the curb because he never came home after races or competitions and instead hung out at their hideaway. When questioned about where he was spending all of his time, he told them nothing but the truth and his parents were furious as they knew what Troy did. Chad pretty much had the same thing happen to him but since Chad helped Troy out, his parents were a little harsher."

Sharpay and Taylor broke down into tears and Gabriella stopped so they could collect themselves. The way that Chad and Zeke had shuffled their feet and avoided meeting Gabriella's gaze head on spoke volumes of their situation with their parents. Troy had walked out of the room and Zeke explained to her that Troy felt responsible for them being kicked out of their lifestyles and houses but he explained that neither boy blamed Troy.

"What happened? Why is Troy the cause of all this?"

Sharpay threw a pillow at Tiara for being so blunt and forward with the question but Gabriella shook her head and gave a sad smile.

"Relax Sharpay. Troy and his father started to split ways because Troy picked up dancing as a hobby and soon he couldn't stop. He had to learn more, had to know the latest and the greatest moves but his basketball began to suffer to his father's anger. When questioned about his lack of heart in basketball Troy took a gamble and told his father about his newfound passion for dancing. Needless to say that didn't go over well with his father and World War Three happened in their house that night. Jack Bolton tried to force his son to practice harder but Troy rebelled and skipped practice almost every day to continue dancing."

Gabriella paused in her story and she hugged the pillow closer to her. Kelsi held her arms open and Gabriella fell into her embrace, her head in the musical girls shoulder. She hated the way Troy's parents had treated him and it cut her up inside how they could just throw their son out of their lives like he never even existed. After a few moments Gabriella sat back up and wiped her eyes.

"After a time, the principal at East High, you know Principal Matsui asked Troy to step into his office during class one day. We all know that Principal Matsui is an avid fan of the basketball team and he wanted to have a little talk. Troy is a fantastic basketball player, you don't need me to go into detail at how he just knows what to do on the court but Troy said he knew what was going to happen. Sure enough, his father sat in one of the chairs in front of Principal Matsui and Mrs. Darbus sat in the other. Troy was invited to sit in a third seat off to the right of Mrs. Darbus and lucky for him he did."

Gabriella choked up again and she crushed the pillar to her chest in an effort to stem the tears that wanted to fall. She took several deep breaths at the instruction of Ryan and all but yanked him on top of her. Why Ryan chose to live in a house full of girls baffled Gabriella and she had an inkling that it had to do with one Kelsi Neilson but right now she didn't care as he was one of her most trusted friends.

"Principal Matsui asked Troy why he was abandoning his commitment to the basketball team and Troy explained that he had found a new passion in dancing. To say that Principal Matsui was shocked would be an understatement is what Troy told me and Jack Bolton all but destroyed the chair as he exploded out of it. He rounded on his son and said that he had a commitment to basketball and not to some flimsy dancing. Troy countered with that he had played basketball all those years because of his father's explanations and yes, because he loved it but basketball didn't bring him to life like dancing did. That was the last straw for Jack Bolton and he stormed out of the office. When Troy got home that day he found his mother crying in the kitchen and his father reading the newspaper."

"Then how did he get kicked out of the house?"

Gabriella waved her hand for Tiara to be patient and chuckled when Sharpay threw another pillow at her. Those two girls could have been sisters for all the similarities and bickering they did but Sharpay had told Tiara that she was the top bitch around here and that was that.

"Rumors of Troy quitting the basketball spread like wildfire throughout the school like we all remember and then new rumors spread around. Troy was doing drugs or Troy had been found in the bathroom cutting himself. The school's psychiatrist was called in and we all remember the legendary Troy Bolton, number one jock walking into her office. Another shouting match began between Troy and his father but Troy's mother was present this time and she got into the argument as well. For one foolish moment his mother believed the rumors she had been hearing and coupled with the fact that the police were looking out for a new wave of street racers and a description that matched Troy's was in the roster sent his parents over the edge. This time when Troy got home from school he found his belongings thrown into a pile of cardboard boxes and when he tried to get into his own house he found all the doors locked. He found a note on top of the box in his father's handwriting that said how disappointed they were in him and that he wasn't the Troy they gave birth to."

Gabriella did break down at this one and Ryan and Kelsi hugged her to them in an attempt to comfort her. Everyone else crowded around Gabriella and murmured stuff to her or laid a hand on her in a comforting way. Determined to finish her story Gabriella sat up and the girls sat on the floor in front of her.

"Troy wandered around without any sense of direction or purpose after that for a while and he stumbled into a diner owned by a woman named Jenny's. He became a regular there and he found a new family in them because they wouldn't let him go one night until he spilled what was causing him to break down. Troy said that Jenny had just kept serving him hot chocolate and the other men at the counter had prodded him along as well. When the whole story came out, Jenny gave him a job on the spot and a man named John gave him a room in his cabin back in the woods for a place to stay as long as Troy continued to keep up his grades in school and worked at Jenny's as often as possible. We all wondered how Troy was surviving as everyone knew he wasn't living at home anymore and his constant optimism baffled everyone at school, the teachers, his father, the administration and the students."

The girls chuckled at this as everyone had expected Troy to fall to pieces and drop out of high school but instead if it was possible, he climbed higher on the ladder of success and excelled at everything he touched.

"Well, the rest is you can pretty much guess. Chad and Zeke followed suit and the three of them formed a crew. They pooled their money together and bought a hundred lottery tickets from different stores on a whim and one of the tickets earned them the million dollars being offered. They bought out their hideaway, refurnished it for living purposes and to celebrate their newfound freedom each bought a car. The three of them were unstoppable over the rest of the school year and the bonds they share amazed everyone. Of course they wouldn't tell anyone but when they began to pick up the other boys that now form their crew, they let them in on their secret as well and now look at them."

"Okay but that doesn't explain why you came home glowing and such like Troy had finally gotten the balls, no offense Ryan, to ask you to be his girlfriend."

Gabriella blushed again and wouldn't meet Sharpay's eyes which caused the girls to squeal again. They started firing questions again and Gabriella buried herself behind the large throw pillow she had been squeezing during her story telling.

"How did he ask?"

"Did you two kiss?"

"Did you to do it?"

Gabriella curled up further behind the cushion and mumbled something but knew that the other girls couldn't hear her. She pulled the pillow away from her mouth and took a deep breath.

"I'm not telling you how he asked as that will be a favorite memory of mine for a long time, I don't kiss and tell and for heaven's sake Tiara, you are just as bad as Sharpay. No we didn't have sex."

"So what now? Are we going to have to get a contract and bind you to this house and your duties or do you think you can resist lunkhead Troy Bolton's charm long enough to continue your duties around here?"

Gabriella blushed and rose from the couch but the girls wouldn't let her leave the room.

"I won't forget my duties here at the house _Mom_ and you don't need to write up a contract."

The door bell rang and Gabriella's face lit up. She raced to the door and heard many patters of feet behind her that clued her in to the other girls following her. She beat them to the door and whipped it wide open, knocking many of the girls down in the process. Amidst the groans she stepped over the tangle of legs and shut the door behind her.

"Maybe I should come back at another time?"

Gabriella didn't answer and stood on tip toe to kiss Troy. He responded by pulling her closer by the waist and kissing her back. They broke apart after a moment and Gabriella led him over to the porch swing. He sat down first and she sat down in his lap, eager to keep in physical contact now that he was here.

"Nah, I just got done storytelling anyway and needed to get fresh air anyway."

"My Ella is a storyteller huh? Maybe we can rent you out a couple nights a week and you can come over to the church to tell us all bedtime stories. I bet the boys will fall asleep in no time at all if you tell them a story or sing them a lullaby. And don't tell me you don't sing well as I've seen you in the company of some of the most powerful recording studios on the West Coast."

Gabriella blushed and laid her head down on his chest. He pushed off and the swing began to rock back and forth.

"What story did you tell this morning?"

"The history of your crew. Everyone was most eager to find out and were very apt and sympathetic listeners."

Troy's hold tightened on her until it began to hurt and she could feel the change in attitude by the way his body tensed up. She didn't need to look up to see that his eyes would be closed and his jaw would seem to be glued shut.

"They won't tell anyone Troy and they all took an oath of secrecy as is custom in our house during story time."

"Did they now?"

His tone hurt her and she sat up to look into his eyes. She took his face in her hands and pressed a soft, gentle kiss to his lips. He softened under her kiss and his hold loosened around her.

"Sometimes, sharing your pain with friends goes a long way in the healing process. Maybe this will let others help you."

"The East Wildcats Crew doesn't need anyone's help."

Gabriella rolled her eyes and kissed his chin. She snuggled back into her former position and hummed a tune.

"Everyone wants you to spend the night again tonight and coupled with your singing and storytelling abilities I think that would be a most excellent idea."

"As much as I'd like to say yes Troy, I have duties here and I'd have to check the schedule to see if I'm free tonight."

"Fine. Sharpay!"

Gabriella started at the loudness of his command and wondered why he would need Sharpay. The front door opened not a second later and eager faces peered around the doorframe which made Gabriella roll her eyes. A flash went off as one of the girls took a picture and then Sharpay stepped out onto the porch with her hands on her hips.

"Yes Bolton?"

"Is Ella free for tonight? My crew and I would like to have her over for another night."

"And just what would Gabi be doing over in your all secret hideaway?"

Troy looked down at Gabriella and she wouldn't meet his gaze.

"Just what did she tell you we do over there?"

Sharpay stomped her foot and crossed her arms across her chest.

"She wouldn't tell us where your hideaway is, what it looks like or anything you do over there. That's not fair! But no, Gabi is not on any duty for tonight so I don't think it would be a problem."

Troy smiled his winning smile at Sharpay and Gabriella giggled as she heard some of the other younger girls swoon. Looks like Troy would be just as well liked over here as she was over at the church.

"For that matter Bolton it isn't fair that you know where our home is and we don't know where yours is."

"You're right. Ready Ella?"

Gabriella nodded and disappeared into the house. A few minutes later she came out with an overnight bag and jumped onto Troy's back in a piggy back fashion. He laughed, saluted Sharpay and headed down the walkway to where his Corvette sat parked in the driveway. She giggled as he opened the door for her and like last night slid across the hood to open the driver's door. His Corvette roared to life and he backed out of the driveway. Gabriella waved her hand out the window and shrieked as Troy did a donut in the middle of the street before he burned out and raced off down the street.

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_Later That Night at the Church_

Gabriella bopped one of the younger boys of the East Wildcat crew on the back of the head as he scampered out of the kitchen with one final cookie. She turned off the lights, shut off the oven and walked out of the kitchen in her nightwear. Because there were young hormonal boys in the common room she wore another one of Troy's t-shirts over her cami's and a pair of his sweatpants over her cotton shorts. Troy joked that she just wanted to wear his clothes to which she had just grinned, nodded and disappeared into the bathroom to get ready for bed. She didn't expect to see Troy watching her with such adoration from the doorway and she gave him a soft smile.

"Alright listen up guys. As you know, Gabriella will be spending the night again and you're all in for a treat as she has agreed to sing you a song. I want all of you to lay down and get into your sleeping bags or under the covers, that includes you too Chad."  
Gabriella smiled as she watched the boys fight for covers, pillows and sleeping areas before they all settled down. She took a picture and then walked to the top of the stairs to take a couple other pictures from a different angle. After a few minutes of last minute scuffling and whispering all the boy's except Troy were situated for the night and Gabriella walked into the designated sleeping area. All the boys were in sleeping bags or stretched out their lanky forms on various pieces of furniture. She smiled and walked over to a sophomore. She arranged his covers so he would be more comfortable and raised her eyebrows at a boy that gave a snigger. He quieted and mouthed an apology to which she nodded.

_You are fine, you are sweet_

_Fine, I'm still a bit naive with my heart_

_When you're close, I don't breathe_

_I can't find the words to speak and I feel sparks_

_But I don't wanna be into you_

_If you're not looking for true love_

_No, I don't wanna start seeing you_

_If I can't be your only one, so tell me_

Gabriella smiled as the boy's settled down for the night even further at her voice and already one or two of the younger ones had their eyes closed with dreamy little boy smiles on their faces. One boy struggled not to fall off the couch and Gabriella helped him out to which he gave her a two dimple smile.

_When it's not alright, when it's not ok_

_Will you try to make me feel better?_

_Will you say alright? Will you say ok?_

_Will you stick with me through whatever_

_Or run away?_

_Say that it's gonna be alright_

_That it's gonna be ok_

_When you call I don't know_

_If I should pick up the phone every time_

_I'm not like all my friends_

_Who keep calling up the boys, I'm so shy_

The young boy was now able to fall asleep without the worry of falling off the couch and Gabriella kissed his forehead. She walked away and caught Troy's eye. He smiled and leaned on the pillar by the stairs. She smiled at him and continued her rounds on all the sleeping boys.

_But I don't wanna be into you_

_If you don't treat me the right way_

_See, I can only start seeing you_

_If you can make my heart feel safe_

_Feel safe!_

_When it's not alright, when it's not ok_

_Will you try to make me feel better?_

_Will you say alright? Will you say ok?_

_Will you stick with me through whatever_

_Or run away?_

_Say that it's gonna be alright_

_That it's gonna be ok_

_Don't run away, don't run away_

Chad had already fallen asleep but his pillow was halfway off the couch and his blanket covered half his body. Gabriella giggled and rearranged his pillow first. Then she tugged on the blanket and covered him all the way so he wouldn't wake up in the middle of the night cold. She patted his shoulder and caught Troy laughing.

Let me know if it's gon' be you

_Boy, you got some things to prove_

_Let me know that you'll keep me safe_

_I don't want you to run away_

_So let me know that you'll call on time_

_Let me know that you'll help me shine_

_Will you wipe my tears away?_

_Will you hold me closer?_

_When it's not alright, when it's not ok_

_Will you try to make me feel better_

_Will you say alright? Will you say ok?_

_Will you stick with me through whatever_

_Or run away?_

Zeke shuffled in his sleep and had the same predicament as Chad had. She did the same two things for him but found it a little bit harder as he was taller and lankier than Chad was. After a few minutes she got him comfortable and walked over to the final boy who lay there crying. She sat down on the floor next to him, took his head in her lap and ran her fingers through the mop of curls on his head. He quieted down and after a few minutes of the hypnotic power of Gabriella's voice and her fingers he too fell asleep.

_Say that it's gon' be alright_

_That it's gon' be ok_

_Don't run away_

_Say that it's gon' be alright_

_That it's gon' be ok, don't run away_

_Will you say ok?_

_Say that it's gon' be alright_

_That it's gon' be ok, don't run away_

_Will you say ok?_

Gabriella walked over to Troy and fell into his waiting embrace as she finished her song and all the boys were tucked in for the night. Troy swept her off her feet and carried her up the stairs bridal style. She laid her head on his chest and in a loose fashion wrapped her arms around his neck. She was half-asleep when she felt Troy lay her on the bed and he tugged the sweatpants off her hips. Gabriella didn't have to move as with one hand he raised her hips and with the other finished pulling off the sweatpants. He took off her shirt in the same fashion and she smiled as he had overcome the gentlemen habit of being comfortable enough to touch her but displayed another in tucking her into bed.

"Goodnight my sweet Ella. Sweet dreams."

Gabriella rolled over and buried herself into his chest while he pulled the covers up and over them. After a long game of cat and mouse she had gotten her man and together they could help out the next generation of younger, troubled students. But that could wait till tomorrow as she wanted nothing more than to fall asleep in Troy's arms and she smiled before sleep overtook her.

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_**A/N: Wow, simply wow. That is the longest one shot I have ever written and it took me a hell of a long time to write it. The story changed so many times since I first typed the first word and I thank you for sticking through all the way to the end. Thanks for reading and if you have any feedback drop a review. And if you put the story on your favorite list could you please drop a review as to why. Thank you so much.**_

_**Ja ne,**_

_**Kaden-san**_


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